New posting schedule and why I've stalled on my website rebuild


Hey Reader,

Jeff here. I've got some updates for ya. First, I'm changing the frequency of my newsletter to one that feels more intuitive and genuine. And secondly, I'll share why I've stalled on my website design rebuild and how the latest WordPress drama is affecting me.

Writing When I Feel Like It

So it's been a couple weeks since I sent a newsletter out. Normally I send one out every week on Fridays and have been pretty consistent for a year now. I'll pat myself on the back for putting myself out there again and sticking to the weekly writing habit.

But what I've experienced over the past year is that when Friday rolls around, I often don't have anything I want to say. Especially when I'm not directly writing to a person and there's no real human element in the communication. It starts to be obvious to me that I'm writing because I "should" and not because I want to. I don't want to clutter up anybody's inbox with that kind of writing.

So from now on, I'm going to write when I feel like it. It could be weekly, monthly, or only a few times a year. But you'll know it's when I feel like I have something genuine to say.

So with that out of the way. Here's a few updates:

My Website Rebuild Progress (or lack thereof)

So if you remember, I was soooo obsessed with redesigning my website back in the spring. I wrote a bunch of posts about web design and WordPress, even considering going back to school for web design.

Well, that didn't happen lol. I've completely neglected my website.

My rebuild is on hold for the time being because I feel like there's a shakeup coming in WordPress land. Shit is going down and the future of WordPress is in jeopardy. The vibes suck, and CEO Matt Mullenweg is being revealed to be the wolf in sheep's clothing all along.

WordPress Drama

I wrote about another WordPress meltdown at the end of September, and it's only gotten worse since then. I can't possibly recap the whole thing, so you might want to read this to catch up or check out the wpdrama subreddit.

Here's a TLDR from The Verge:

In late September, Automattic CEO and WordPress cofounder Matt Mullenweg started a public dispute with the hosting provider WP Engine, calling the company “a cancer to WordPress.” He accused WP Engine of not contributing enough to the WordPress ecosystem and profiting off of trademark confusion. As a result, WP Engine was blocked from accessing WordPress.org’s servers.
Automattic has since sent a cease and desist order to WP Engine to stop it from using its trademarks, while WP Engine has followed up with a lawsuit that accuses Automattic and Mullenweg of extortion.
The series of events set off a public battle that calls into question the boundaries between WordPress.com host Automattic, the WordPress open-source project, and the nonprofit that’s behind it.

Here's a video from his recent appearance at Tech Crunch Disrupt. Yes he went on there as part of his own PR campaign to maintain his good-guy image, but it's just creepy. The interviewer at least tries to be real with Matt, but he continues to spin, deflect, and dodge any serious questions. It's uncomfortable to watch.

Why do I even care?

I care for a few reasons:

1. I'm a creator and WordPress DIYer. Which means I use the open source WordPress CMS as the backend of my site. It powers my home on the web and has been awesome for years, but it's innovation has stagnated. It's slow, bloated, and taken over by greedy plugin devs pushing their premium subscriptions. Including Automattic.

As a creator, I want a home base to publish all creations and my thoughts. WordPress was great for that. But it seems it hasn't kept up with the times. I've felt that the vibes have been off for years and this recent dumpster fire with Matt is just the latest. It gives me pause and makes me hesitate wanting to rebuild with its future in jeopardy.

Meanwhile the vibes seem great over at Ghost.The CEO John O'Nolan wrote a thoughtful response to the drama. Ghost has always intrigued me, except they're strictly focused on being a blogging or newsletter platform (like a self-hosted Substack). I've considered switching, but I feel like it's too limited for my needs as a multi-faceted creator. I don't just write, I make music, art and design, podcasts, and sell digital prodcuts, and books. I need something for all of that.

I feel like the solution for me just isn't out there yet. I'm not techy enough to build it myself or use something like Statamic or Craft CMS. I'm not trying to be a web developer. I'll just stick with WordPress for now and see how things shake out over the next year.

2. I use several other Automattic products such as Day One and PocketCasts. (They were not developed by Matt's Automattic, but acquired, in his attempt to be the Berkshire Hathaway of the internet). I'm concerned about the future of those apps, which I've used daily for years. I've got thousands of journal entries in Day One since 2013. I'm not really concerned those apps are going to fail, as they're run by their own teams under the Automattic umbrella. But I've got to think the vibes are just off at that company and people have to be feeling it. With vibes like this, you know a shakeup is on the horizon.

3. I'm fascinated by Matt's hero to villian arc. How a nerdy nice guy with good intentions gets corrupted by power. In some ways I can see myself in him. In a past life, I would have wanted to be him. It seems like he'd be on top of the world and thriving. But he's clearly struggling with his mental health as many have pointed out to him. It's like I'm watching the makings of another WeCrashed style doc in real time. Netflix producers get in there!

What Else I've Been Up To:

Trying out Zen Browser. Enjoying it so far. It's built on Firefox and has many features of the beloved Arc browser (which its devs have pivoted to a new project and may have abandoned it).

Ai generated lo-fi music is taking over. So I was listening to this channel called ETERNAL PAST and vibing out to their 90s dreamcore vaporwave tracks. Really digging it in the background while I played Magic on my computer. I went to see who the artists were and saw, "Music generated by genAi & mixing and mastering by ETERNAL PAST". I was like, whaaa? Then yesterday morning I see his video pop up in my feed: Ai lofi music is ruining youtube. I also heard that AI music is flooding other streaming platforms too. To me, it was indisiguishable from the real thing and served well as background music. But I couldn't help but feel cheated. Welcome to the future!

Bought the new M4 Mac Mini! I've been wanting to get a new desktop computer for years, still chugging away on my self-built PC from 2015. I've been choosing to work more on my laptop lately (M2 Macbook Air) which I just feel more at home with than my Windows PC. I grew up on Windows and enjoyed building my own PC when I was younger. I debated whether to do another custom-build another PC, but I just don't have the energy or interest in researching it all and somehow doing it wrong. I like the simplicity of the Mac Mini and was stoked to see Apple was releasing a new model this month. I went ahead and pre-ordered it and it should arrive this week. I'm excited to work on my music and try Logic Pro again.

Now THIS is a great use of AI: A creator by the name of Neural Viz has been making a mockumentary series on YouTube using various genAI tools to aid his creative storytelling. Imagine a future where aliens tell their story of humans in an retro unsolved-mysteries style. Each episode is only a couple minutes long but the lore is deep and hilarious. Tiggy Skibbles!! 😂

video preview

That's about all. Thanks for reading and I'll talk to you again soon.

✌️

Jeff


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Designer, Author, Mystic

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113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205

Jeff Finley

I'm an artist, designer, music producer, author, and mystic with a passion for truth and personal growth. I like to share what I'm working on and working through each week, highlighting my creative pursuits and providing tips, tools, and resources for fellow creators.

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